Spiced dried fruit chutney is a delicious, yet surprisingly easy-to-make dish that will tantalize your taste buds. This delectable condiment is the perfect way to add some zest and flavour to any meal. Bursting with an array of warm, exotic spices like cinnamon, cardamom, and star anise, this chutney has a sweet and savoury flavour that will leave you wanting more.
Best of all, it can be whipped up in no time at all with just a few simple ingredients. So if you’re ready for something new and exciting on your plate, read on to learn how to make this scrumptious spiced dried fruit chutney!
Why make dried fruit chutney?
• Making spiced dried fruit chutney is a cost-effective, easy-to-make and delicious way to add flavour to your meal. By making it yourself you can control the ingredients and quality of the dish better than if you purchased it pre-made.
• Making this chutney from scratch allows you more flexibility as you can adjust the spices and other ingredients easily.
• Additionally, the aroma that comes with making spiced dried fruit chutney will fill your kitchen with warmth and comfort which will inspire you to come up with more ways to use and enjoy it.
Making a delicious chutney
The process of creating this chutney starts with you selecting and preparing the ingredients to ensure the perfect flavour.
After selecting a combination of dried fruits, such as raisins, currants, sultanas, apricots and dates, the fruits should be roughly chopped before being soaked in boiling water. This blend is left to stand for at least 3 hours, preferably overnight, to revive and rehydrate the fruit pieces.
When this has been prepared, peel and chop the onion. On medium heat add the oil, onion, garlic and ginger to the preserving pan and start to cook them.
Then add the fruit, and any liquid, with the rest of the ingredients to the pan and stir well. Keep stirring over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved, Bring the mixture to a boil and then set it to a steady simmer for 60-80 minutes. Once you can check that the chutney is thick enough to drag the spoon through it leaving a clear trail, you can set about using the immersion blender.
Take the pan off the heat and blend the chutney to your desired consistency. Then start to ladle the chutney into prepared jars and seal. Leave to cool, label and set away in storage. Let the chutney mature for a minimum of 4 weeks (preferably 6 weeks), before starting to use it.
Spiced dried fruit chutney makes for a delicious condiment that can be served with meats, cheeses or even on its own as an appetizer.
TIPS
1. Start with a selection of good quality dried fruit:
Select and combine the dried fruits of your choice to realise the best flavour in your chutney.
2. Toast the spices before adding them to the chutney:
Toasting or dry-roasting whole spices brings out their flavours and adds complexity to your finished product. After toasting use a pestle and mortar or a spice grinder to create a rich powdered spice.
3. Add sweeteners carefully:
Too much sweetness can overpower the other flavours, so opt for small additions of honey, or agave to retain balance in this recipe.
4. Balance acidity and spiciness:
Vinegar is a key ingredient when making chutney; however, its tartness needs balancing with some sweetness and heat from fresh ginger root or chilli peppers to create a harmonious condiment.
5. Simmer steadily until thickened:
Slow simmering helps marry all the flavours together while allowing natural sugars to caramelize into the deliciousness that will coat every spoonful of your chutney!
6. Allow it time to mature and mellow:
After cooking and cooling down properly, give it 2–3 days in an airtight container at cool room temperature before serving – this allows enough time for all those yummy flavours to get extra cosy!
Flavour options for this spiced fruit chutney
Add different combinations and amounts of dried fruits
Apples, pears, oranges, blueberries, currants, cranberries, cherries and other dried fruits can be added to the chutney for a unique flavour combination.
Change up the spices
Try cloves, cardamom, cumin, turmeric or allspice instead of cinnamon or nutmeg for a twist on traditional flavours. Add some heat by adding chilli flakes in varying amounts – perfect for those who love their food hot!
Adjust the consistency
Chutney is usually thick but if you prefer it thinner, just add some more liquid, like a bit more vinegar or some complimenting fresh fruit juice and simmer until desired thickness is reached.
Make it sweeter or more savoury
You can adjust the amount and type of sugar used in your recipe depending on if you want it sweeter or less so. Adjust the spices and consider some herbs to give a more savoury edge to balance out the sweetness. Choose from different vinegar options (as long as it has a minimum of 5% acetic acid) – red or white wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar or fruit vinegar will each bring their own characteristics to the result.
Include fresh ingredients
A touch of fresh garlic, ginger or onion could add depth of flavour to your chutney while still keeping its signature dried-fruit tangy-sweetness intact!
Ways to enjoy a spiced dried fruit chutney
- Serve it as a condiment alongside dishes like curry and rice.
- Add it to salads or sandwiches for an extra flavour boost.
- Use it as a glaze on grilled meats such as chicken, pork and lamb chops. It is a flavourful accompaniment to cold meats.
- Pair with cheese and serve as an appetizer platter or a cheeseboard at parties or get-togethers.
- This chutney is a great seasonal, festive food gift towards the end of the year. An array of dried fruits tend to be around anyway for fruit cakes, so some can be siphoned off and transformed into this chutney. I have also made some in the New Year by using up and combining all the dried fruit remnants from the festive season – what a bonus! And then you can share it with someone as a surprise food gift.
This spiced dried fruit chutney is a delicious and versatile condiment that can be used in many different ways. Its sweet, savoury taste adds an extra dimension to everyday dishes. It’s easy to make and requires ingredients that you either have to hand or can get hold of any time of year. Perfect for those times when you need something special.
Whether you’re looking for a new way to dress up your favourite sandwich or want to jazz up a roast, this spiced dried fruit chutney will do the trick. Give it a try and find out for yourself.
Spiced Dried Fruit Chutney Recipe
Equipment
- Kitchen scales
- Chopping board and knife
- Large bowl
- Cling film
- Grater
- Garlic press
- Preserving pan/Large saucepan
- Long-handled spoon for stirring
- Immersion blender
- Ladle
- Jam Funnel
- Clean, sterilised glass jars with vinegar-proof lids
Ingredients
- 200 g dried apricots
- 200 g sultanas
- 150 g dried figs
- 200 g prunes
- 150 g raisins
- 900 ml boiling water
- 2 large onions
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 500 ml apple cider vinegar
- 400 g brown sugar
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ginger
- 1 large clove garlic
Instructions
- The total dried fruit amount here is 900g. So experiment with different types of dried fruit to create unique flavour profiles. Use dried fruit of your choice, or whatever you have to hand to make up this weight.
- Roughly chop the dried fruit by hand. OR you can use a food processor to get the job done even faster. (NOT: if you are not using an immersion blender later on in the process, you may want to chop the dried fruit finer from the outset).
- Put all of the chopped fruits in the bowl and add the boiling water. Stir the fruit and water mix. Then cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside for at least 3 hours, and preferably (and easier), overnight. During this time, the pieces of dried fruit will rehydrate and start to plump up.
- After 3 hours, or overnight, peel and chop up the 2 onions.
- Add the oil to the preserving pan on medium heat, and add the chopped onions, crushed garlic and grated ginger. Let this cook for about 10 minutes. Stir them and turn down the heat if needed to prevent any burning.
- Then you can add the rehydrated chopped fruits and any liquid that is in the bowl, to the pan.
- Also, add the spices, sugar, seasonings and vinegar at this stage, and stir through to disperse all the components through the mixture.
- Keep stirring the mixture over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved completely.Turn the heat up and bring the mixture to a boil.
- The once boiling point has been reached, turn the heat down a bit so that it remains on a medium simmer (more than a slow simmer; and not boiling). Maintain this simmer, stirring occasionally for 60-80 minutes.
- You are aiming for the stage when the chutney has thickened to the point where if you drag the wooden spoon through the mixture it leaves a trough and trail that is temporarily clear to the bottom of the pan. Then it's done.
- Now you can use the immersion blender to blend the chutney to your preferred consistency. Give it a final stir.
- Once you are satisfied with the texture, it is ready to be ladled into the clean sterilized jars.Wipe off the rims of the jars and seal them with lids. Allow the jars of chutney to cool completely at room temperature. Label and get ready for storage.
- Leave the chutney to mature for 4-6 weeks before eating. Kept in a cool place away from direct sunlight it should keep for up to 12 months.
Notes
TIPS
1. Start with a selection of good quality dried fruit:
Select and combine the dried fruits of your choice to realise the best flavour in your chutney.2. Toast the spices before adding them to the chutney:
Toasting or dry-roasting whole spices brings out their flavours and adds complexity to your finished product. After toasting use a pestle and mortar or a spice grinder to create a rich powdered spice.3. Add sweeteners carefully:
Too much sweetness can overpower the other flavours, so opt for small additions of honey, or agave to retain balance in this recipe.4. Balance acidity and spiciness:
Vinegar is a key ingredient when making chutney; however, its tartness needs balancing with some sweetness and heat from fresh ginger root or chilli peppers to create a harmonious condiment.5. Simmer steadily until thickened:
Slow simmering helps marry all the flavours together while allowing natural sugars to caramelize into the deliciousness that will coat every spoonful of your chutney!6. Allow it time to mature and mellow:
After cooking and cooling down properly, give it 2–3 days in an airtight container at cool room temperature before serving – this allows enough time for all those yummy flavours to get extra cosy!Flavour options for this spiced fruit chutney
Add different combinations and amounts of dried fruits
Apples, pears, oranges, blueberries, currants, cranberries, cherries and other dried fruits can be added to the chutney for a unique flavour combination.Change up the spices
Try cloves, cardamom, cumin, turmeric or allspice instead of cinnamon or nutmeg for a twist on traditional flavours. Add some heat by adding chilli flakes in varying amounts – perfect for those who love their food hot!Adjust the consistency
Chutney is usually thick but if you prefer it thinner, just add some more liquid, like a bit more vinegar or some complimenting fresh fruit juice and simmer until desired thickness is reached.Make it sweeter or more savoury
You can adjust the amount and type of sugar used in your recipe depending on if you want it sweeter or less so. Adjust the spices and consider some herbs to give a more savoury edge to balance out the sweetness. Choose from different vinegar options (as long as it has a minimum of 5% acetic acid) – red or white wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar or fruit vinegar will each bring their own characteristics to the result.Include fresh ingredients
A touch of fresh garlic, ginger or onion could add depth of flavour to your chutney while still keeping its signature dried-fruit tangy-sweetness intact!Ways to enjoy a spiced dried fruit chutney
- Serve it as a condiment alongside dishes like curry and rice.
- Add it to salads or sandwiches for an extra flavour boost.
- Use it as a glaze on grilled meats such as chicken, pork and lamb chops. It is a flavourful accompaniment to cold meats.
- Pair with cheese and serve as an appetizer platter or a cheeseboard at parties or get-togethers.
- This chutney is a great seasonal, festive food gift towards the end of the year. An array of dried fruits tend to be around anyway for fruit cakes, so some can be siphoned off and transformed into this chutney. I have also made some in the New Year by using up and combining all the dried fruit remnants from the festive season – what a bonus! And then you can share it with someone as a surprise food gift.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
All nutritional information is an estimate only, based on third-party calculations derived from an online nutritional calculator, Spoonacular API. The data provided is a courtesy and should not be considered a guarantee or fact. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients and brands you use, your measuring methods and portion sizes. For accurate results, we recommend that you calculate the nutritional information yourself, using a preferred nutritional calculator or advice from a nutritionist, based on your ingredients and individual processes.